Chapter 7

The man who was once so arrogant, who used to beat and kick me without hesitation, now lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

His face was covered in blood, and all ten of his fingers were brutally broken, twisted into grotesque shapes.

Hearing footsteps, Frank laboriously lifted his head.

Seeing me, an intense survival instinct erupted in his cloudy eyes, and he scrambled towards me, crawling on his hands and knees.

"Jade! Jade! Save your dad! Quick, save your dad! This madman is going to kill me!"

He hadn't even touched my clothes before a bodyguard next to him kicked him down.

"Stay still!" the bodyguard snapped.

I stood rooted, coldly watching Frank's pained wails on the ground, feeling not a shred of sympathy, only deep disgust.

"Mr. Julian, what is the meaning of this?" I turned to Julian.

Julian leaned back in his wheelchair, toying with a sharp dagger, and said nonchalantly, "Don't you hate him? I brought him here for you to deal with. You can torment him however you wish."

He tossed the dagger to my feet, where it landed with a crisp clink.

"Kill him, or cripple him, whatever makes you happy," Julian's eyes sparkled with bloodlust, as if watching an entertaining play.

Frank was terrified, his liver and guts churning, and he desperately knelt down to me.

"Jade, I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! I'm your biological dad, you can't kill me! When you were little, I even bought you candy, don't you remember?!"

Bought me candy?

I only remembered him getting drunk and whipping me with a belt until I was covered in wounds; I only remembered him trying to sell Stella into a fire pit for gambling money.

I bent down and picked up the dagger from the floor.

The dagger was heavy, its blade gleaming coldly.

Frank's wails instantly ceased. He stared at me in terror, his pants instantly wet.

"Jade… you… you wouldn't dare…"

I gripped the dagger and walked step by step towards him.

Julian watched me from his wheelchair, a playful smile on his lips.

He seemed to be anticipating the insane sight of me personally taking my father's life.

I looked down at Frank, at his face distorted by fear.

"Frank, you should have died long ago," my voice was icy, devoid of any warmth.

I raised the dagger and plunged it down forcefully!

"Ah—!" Frank let out a pig-like shriek, tightly closing his eyes.

"Clink!"

The dagger grazed his cheek, embedding itself deeply into the concrete floor beside him, sparks flying.

Frank convulsed in fear, passing out cold.

I released the dagger, stood up, and turned to Julian.

"Mr. Julian, it's not worth getting my hands dirty," I said calmly. "The money he owed the underground casino, the Julian family has already repaid. From this day forward, I cut all ties with him. Throw him out. Whether he lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me."

The playfulness in Julian's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep, probing look.

He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"Jade, you're even more ruthless than I imagined."

Killing a man is easy, but breaking his spirit is far more terrifying.

Throwing a crippled, penniless gambler back onto the streets was a fate far worse than death.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Julian," I bowed slightly. "If there's nothing else, I'll return to my room."

"Wait," Julian called out to me.

He maneuvered his wheelchair and slowly glided in front of me.

"Over in Los Angeles, Ethan is searching for you everywhere," Julian stared into my eyes, his voice carrying a hint of danger. "He even put out a word that anyone who dares to hide you is making an enemy of the Ethan family."

Hearing Ethan's name, my heart skipped a beat, but my face remained impassive.

"I'm already married into the Julian family. Los Angeles affairs have nothing to do with me."

"Is that so?" Julian suddenly reached out and pinched the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. "Jade, you'd better remember what you said today. If you dare betray me, I'll show you what true living hell feels like."

His hand was cold, wrapping around my neck like a snake.

I didn't flinch, meeting his gaze. "Mr. Julian, don't worry. I, Jade, never go back on my word."

Los Angeles.

Ethan hadn't slept for three days.

He had turned all of Los Angeles upside down, even using all his connections, legitimate and otherwise, but still couldn't find a trace of Jade.

She had vanished into thin air.

"Mr. Ethan, still no news…" Mark reported, trembling. "Ms. Jade's flight information was erased. We can't trace where she went."

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Ethan roared, smashing the computer on his desk. "A living person can't just sprout wings and fly away, can they?!"

Chloe stood nearby, her eyes red, not daring to speak.

For these three days, Ethan had been ice-cold towards her, refusing to even spare her a glance.

The man who was once so compliant with her now had only one woman on his mind.

"Ethan, don't be like this…" Chloe bravely walked over, trying to embrace him. "If Jade wants to leave, let her go. You still have me…"

"Get out!" Ethan violently shoved her away, his eyes terrifyingly sinister. "Who told you to touch me?"

Chloe fell to the floor, staring at him in disbelief.

"Ethan, I'm your fiancée! You're doing this to me for a woman who doesn't want you?"

"Fiancée?" Ethan sneered, looking down at her. "If it weren't for your face bearing a slight resemblance to her when she first started with me, do you think you'd be standing here?"

Chloe was struck as if by lightning, her face instantly turning chalk-white.

A stand-in.

Her proud love was nothing more than a pathetic stand-in!

Ethan no longer paid attention to the distraught Chloe. He turned to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the gray sky.

Jade, do you think you can escape?

Even if I have to turn this city upside down, I will find you, break your legs with my own hands, and lock you by my side forever!